Machines of the Dead (31 page)

As soon as possible, he would need to make a trip to one of the food warehouse stores for bulk food items, canned goods, first aid supplies, bottled water and anything else he could think of that they might possibly need if things went to hell in a hurry. The generator ran on the same propane tank as the outdoor grill. A larger tank, maybe even an extra one, might be expedient. First, he needed to check in on Josh.

Josh, six-years old and small for his age, looked frail and pathetic lying in the middle of his bed with a sheet secured across his chest to keep him from thrashing about and hurting himself. The Superman sheets covering his bed were incongruously incapable of protecting him from the evil attacking him.  Sweat from the fever had his curly black locks plastered to his forehead. His chest heaved irregularly, as his tiny beleaguered lungs labored for each breath. His clenched fists thrust from his side as if fighting an invisible enemy. Kneeling beside the bed, Karen was sobbing and she had one hand laid over their son’s clenched fist. Jeb went to her and rested his hand on the top of her head.

“He’ll be fine,” he said, averting his eyes from his ill son, trying to make the words sound believable.

“He looks so sad,” she replied. “He was always a rambunctious child.”

Jeb nodded silently, as he remembered the first broken bone Josh had from falling out of the lemon tree in the back yard, and his numerous cuts and bruises from trying to keep up with the bigger kids in school. He had never let his size slow him down. But now . . .

“Let him sleep. We need to talk.”

Karen looked up at him with concern, but followed him out of the bedroom. In the kitchen, he saw Karen had not started dinner, but he understood why. He could make a sandwich or order out for both of them, if anyone was still delivering take-out. While he started the coffee brewer perking, she sat at the island.

“Ben says things are worse than the authorities are letting on.”

Karen’s grip on the granite counter top tightened, her fingers turning white from the pressure. “What do you mean?”

He leaned on the island across from her. “More people are dying than they’re saying. If it gets worse, it could mean a disruption in services.”

“You mean electricity?” she asked.

“Maybe. Maybe more. I think I should run pick up a few things – just in case,” he added, when he saw her eyes widen in fright.

Karen eyed him suspiciously, but dipped her head in a quick nod. “If you think you should. I have to stay here.”

“I know. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Have you eaten?”

She shook her head. “No, but I’m not hungry. I don’t think I can eat.”

He had expected as much. Karen had no appetite when she was nervous and she was nearly in a panic now. He wished he could say something reassuring, tell her it was all going to be all right, but he knew it would sound like a psychiatrist’s platitude. Reynolds’ revelations had frightened him deeply. “I’ll grab something while I’m out.”

She reached a hand across the island. “Fast food? You hate fast food. Jeb, you’re really frightening me now.”

He laid his hand on top of hers and squeezed gently. “Now, Hon, I may be jumping at shadows, but Ben started me thinking. We don’t need to be grocery shopping every week. We’ve been vaccinated, but who knows what germs are out there. Better safe than sorry.”

She nodded again. “Okay. Hurry back.”

“Lickety split,” he said, smiling.

* * * *

Later, as he unloaded the cases of canned goods, toilet paper, bags of rice and fresh vegetables in the garage, Jeb eyed his purchases with some amusement. He had not been the only person with volume shopping on the mind. The store had been packed, like Macy’s on a Black Friday. His favorite sodas were out of stock, as was his brand of coffee. He took what he could get and then had grabbed extra. He had paid for it all with his credit card, a staggering two thousand dollars, and that did not include the extra propane tank, which he had arranged for delivery.

The fresh vegetables had been a last minute purchase, as had the cases of glass jars and a seven-quart pressure cooker. Karen had canned fresh picked apples and peaches when they were first married. Starting out, they were often broke, relying on canned goods and cheap meals from fast food restaurants, which was his reason for avoiding them now. A supply of freshly canned vegetables might once again come in handy. He had also purchased cases of various brands of cigarettes and liquors. The scotch was for him, but the rest might serve as trade goods or bribes if things got worse. He had watched enough end-of-the-world movies to know that vices didn’t end with civilization. Even if money became worthless paper, cigarettes and alcohol were worth their weight in gold. 

By the time, the last goods were unloaded from the Explorer and neatly stacked against the wall, Jeb was exhausted. Fighting the crazed mob had given him a taste of how bad things might become. His expected one-hour trip had turned into a three-hour sortie. He wanted nothing more than to kick back to watch a little television, but he was worried about Josh. Maybe he would spell Karen and let her rest. She was on the edge.

It was dark when he entered the house, which disturbed him, because Karen always left too many lights on. She did not attempt to keep their electricity bill under control.

“Karen,” he called out. When he received no answer, he went straight to Josh’s room, thinking to find her there. To his surprise, Josh’s bed was empty, and the covers thrown off the bed. His heart began jack hammering his chest. In a panic, he raced room to room through the house, finding each one empty. In the kitchen, a hastily scribbled note on the island caught his attention. He picked it up and read.

“Josh worse. Stopped breathing. Couldn’t reach Ben. Taking Josh to Oro Valley. Come soon.”

Jeb read the note two times, the words dancing on the page as his hands shook. Stopped breathing? My God! He threw the note on the floor and looked out front. He hadn’t even noticed earlier, but the Hyundai was gone. Reynolds’ words popped into his mind about sealing hospitals. He rushed to the garage and cranked the Explorer. At the end of the drive, he pounded on the steering wheel, impatiently waiting for the gate to slide open. Then he wheeled recklessly onto Oracle, bouncing off the median curb. The medical center parking lot was full, with autos parked haphazardly along the side of the road. He spun into the emergency entrance and leaped out. A guard attempted to stop him, but Jeb brushed by him and confronted a harried-looking nurse just inside the door wearing a sterile mask.

“My wife and child just came in a short while ago, Karen and Josh Stone. He’s about six. He was unconscious.”

The nurse looked up at him from her clipboard. Her eyes above the mask looked weary and overwhelmed. “I’ve got a hundred and fifty patients waiting to see a physician. I don’t know who they are.”

Frustrated, he brushed her aside and began calling his wife’s name.

“Karen!”

A few heads turned his direction, but most were too engrossed with their own problems to pay much attention to one more frantic sick person. Many of them wore masks over their nose and mouth. A few distraught mothers held coughing children. The sight only quickened his fear.

“Karen!” he repeated.

He spotted two guards approaching and ducked through the double doors into the treatment area, ignoring the nurse’s warning. “You can’t go in there.” He looked around, but saw no sign of either Josh or Karen. What he did see sent cold chills racing through him. Sheets covered at least two dozen dead bodies on gurneys pushed up against the walls of the corridor of the makeshift morgue. As he stood there in shock, he felt hands tighten on his arm. He glanced at the two guards flanking him. Each wore disposable masks over their mouth and nose.

“My wife and son,” he said numbly.

One of the guards looked at him with obvious sympathy and said, “Anyone coming here in the last few hours has been sent directly to the FEMA camp in Marana. We’re way past capacity.” He looked around and leaned closer. “There’s talk of transferring most of the worst cases to Marana soon.”

Jeb’s initial resolve to storm through the hospital searching for his family dissolved. He knew he wouldn’t find them here. He stared at the corpses, nodded meekly, and allowed the guards to escort him back outside. Trying to decide what to do, he sat in his truck for a few minutes. As he sat there, two canvas-covered, five-ton army trucks pulled up. A captain jumped down from the cab of one and spoke briefly to the guards. The guard who had confided to Jeb, glanced in his direction, and shook his head slowly. Taking it as a warning, Jeb pulled out of the drive slowly and headed towards Marana. He only hoped he wasn’t too late.

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